. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2322 
17 January 2012  
 (12-0254) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US 
Department of Agriculture 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Litchi 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Australia  
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed Rule: Importation of Litchi Fruit from Australia 
(Docket No. APHIS-2009-0084)  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  4 
 http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2009-0084-0001  
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to allow, under certain conditions, th e importation of commercial shipments of 
litchi fruit from Australia into the continental United States, except Florida.  As a condition 
of entry, the litchi fruit would have to be grown in production areas that are registered with and monitored by the national plant protection organization of Australia and treated with 
irradiation at a dose of 400 gray for plant pest s of the class Insecta, except pupae and adults 
of the order Lepidoptera, and subject to insp ection.  The fruits would also have to be 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the 
conditions for importation have been met.  A dditionally, litchi would not be imported into 
or distributed to the State of Florida, due to  the presence of litchi rust mite in Australia.  
This action would allow for the importation of litchi fruit from Australia into the 
continental United States, except Florida, while  continuing to provide protection against the 
introduction of quarantine pests. 
Federal Register:  28 December 2011 Volume 76, Number 249 (Pages 81401-81404) 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.    G/SPS/N/USA/2322 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:      
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  27 February 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
You may submit comments by either of the following methods: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2009-0084-0001 . 
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your  comment to Docket No. APHIS-2009-0084, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, AP HIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road 
Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. 
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov/#! docketDetail;D=APHIS-2009-0084 . 
For further information contact: Ms. Doro thy C. Wayson, Regulatory Coordination 
Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 141, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; +1 (301) 
734-0772. 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), St op 1014, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +1 
(202) 720 1301;  Fax:  + 1 (202) 720 0433;   E-mail:  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov